By Oscar Pimentel, General Overseer
The God of the true Christian faith is a holy God. The root meaning of both the Hebrew and Greek words that are translated as “holy” is separation from all hostility, evil, and defilement. David said, “…give thanks at the remembrance of his holiness” (Psa. 30:4). When we remember His holiness, both a sense of unworthiness and thanksgiving wells up within us. We are reminded that holiness begins with God and not ourselves. We begin to think about what we have read in Scripture; He is perfect in all His ways, His Word is altogether pure and eternal, He hates sin, He is righteous in judgment, He makes no mistakes, He stands for righteousness, and He fights on behalf of the righteous. I’d like to make a few observations to help remind us of what a great, mighty, and holy God we are privileged to serve.
“There is none holy as the LORD: for there is none beside [Him]: neither is there any rock like our God” (1 Sam. 2:2). Listen to the questions the Lord is asked: “LORD, who shall abide in thy tabernacle? who shall dwell in thy holy hill?” (Psa. 15:1). In other words, who will be in Your holy presence? “Who shall ascend into the hill of the LORD? or who shall stand in his holy place?” (Psa. 24:3). The answer is given, “He that walketh uprightly, and worketh righteousness, and speaketh the truth in his heart. He that backbiteth not with his tongue, nor doeth evil to his neighbour, nor taketh up a reproach against his neighbour. In whose eyes a vile person is contemned; but he honoureth them that fear the LORD…” (Psa. 15:2-4), and “He that hath clean hands, and a pure heart; who hath not lifted up his soul unto vanity, nor sworn deceitfully” (Psa. 24:4).
When the angel of the Lord appeared in a flame of fire in the midst of a bush and Moses turned aside to investigate, God spoke to him and said, “Draw not nigh hither: put off thy shoes from off thy feet, for the place whereon thou standest is holy ground” (Ex. 3:5). A word of caution is given to Moses as he approaches a righteous and unspotted God. The removal of his shoes (that represented instruments of his actions in life) prefigured a willing demonstration of putting off the old life of sin and an admission of being spiritually unfit and tarnished. When He spoke to the nation of Israel, God declared, “I am the LORD your God: ye shall therefore sanctify yourselves, and ye shall be holy; for I am holy…” (Lev. 11:44). Peter reminded the saints of his day, “it is written, Be ye holy; for I am holy” (1 Peter 1:16). The angelic beings of Isaiah’s vision declared one unto another “Holy, holy, holy, is the LORD of hosts: the whole earth is full of his glory” (Isa. 6:3), and John heard the unceasing cry, “Holy, holy, holy, Lord God Almighty, which was, and is, and is to come” (Rev. 4:8).
Although little is said nowadays about God’s holiness, the subject seems to hold first position throughout the Old and New Testaments. With so much found in Scripture about God’s divine holy nature, it must mean that He meant for His people to know about it, reflect on it, never forget it, and be holy. A great part of mainstream Christianity enjoys telling the world of God’s love or about His mercy and grace, and rightfully so, for God is love and full of grace and mercy. But let us note that no other attribute of God is repeated three times like that of holiness in Scripture. Could it be because this is the most important thing everyone needs to know about God?
How impactful is God’s holiness? Not even the angelic beings of Isaiah’s vision felt worthy to look upon Him. They covered their faces and feet in His presence and would not touch the sacred ground that supported His throne. Isaiah, a holy man of God and a preacher of righteousness, when confronted with a true vision of God’s glory and majesty, cried out, “Woe is me! for I am undone; because I am a man of unclean lips, and I dwell in the midst of a people of unclean lips: for mine eyes have seen the King, the LORD of hosts” (Isa. 6:5). After such a vision, what Christian (young, middle-aged, or old) could possibly continue carelessly regarding the holy life needed to stand before a holy God?
People have come and gone. Kingdoms have risen and fallen. Man’s social bar of morality has all but vanished. Religious morality and Bible standards are not interpreted as they once were. However, though many things have changed since John’s revelation, God has not changed. He is still perfectly pure, absolutely without fault, and uncompromisingly holy. The realization of this truth serves to stir us today in The Church of God to continual praise, thanksgiving, and worship!